The mother of all books on Mary, Mother of Jesus. Most people agree that Mary of Nazareth was an actual historical figure. But how did this average Jewish girl become the woman that Christians the world over adore—and call the Mother of God? This fascinating guide explores Mary in Scripture, Mary in tradition, and Mary today; Mary’s links to the Earth Mother and the Buddhist Kwan-Yin; Mary apparitions and shrines throughout the world; and Mary in art, music, and literature.

"It's fun to put all the pieces together." Now that picture puzzles are so hot, who better to put out a really fun book of picture puzzles than "The Complete Idiot's Guide(r)" series? In this entertaining book, readers will find: Puzzles of all difficulty levels for all ranges of ability Wacky, funny, silly, whimsical, and oddball pictures appropriate for all ages An easy-to-use answer key"

Music theory doesn’t need to be complicated, and this guide will show you how to make it simple. Idiot's Guides: Music Theory, Third Edition, is a concise and clear guide that teaches any budding musician or experienced musician how to read musical notation by navigating the basics of reading and composing music. Here’s what you’ll find: • The basics of tones, including pitches, clefs, scales, intervals, and major and minor keys • The building blocks of rhythm, including note values, basic notation, time signatures, and tempo, dynamics, and navigation • How tunes are created, starting with melodies, chords, chord progressions, and phrases and forms • The basics of accompaniment, including transcribing, accompanying melodies, and transposing to other keys • Composing and arranging, including coverage of musical genres and forms, how to compose your own music, arranging for voices and instruments, working with lead sheets and scores, and performing your music • Helpful reference appendixes, including a glossary, chord charts, and instrument ranges • Expanded online ear-training and transcribing exercise content, including exercises at the end of each chapter and an answer key appendix

A comprehensive overview of the life, times, and teachings of Jesus Christ provides valuable information on his life, from birth to ascension, discussing his message of peace and love, his influence on the world around him, and his lasting impact on world history and religion. Original.

This book features a learned and fascinating debate between two great Bible scholars about the New Testament as a reliable source on the historical Jesus. Bart Ehrman, an agnostic New Testament scholar, debates Craig Evans, an evangelical New Testament scholar, about the historical Jesus and what constitutes "history." Their interaction includes such compelling questions as: What are sound methods of historical investigation? What are reliable criteria for determining the authenticity of an ancient text? What roles do reason and inference play? And, of course, interpretation? Readers of this debate—regardless of their interpretive inclinations and biases—are sure to find some confirmation of their existing beliefs, but they will surely also find an honest and well-informed challenge to the way they think about the historical Jesus. The result? A more open, better informed, and questioning mind, which is better prepared for discovering both truth and contrivance. The debate between Ehrman and Evans along with Stewart's introductory framework make this book an excellent primer to the study of the historical Jesus, and readers will come away with a deeper appreciation for the ongoing quest for the historical Jesus.

Published in 1992, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theoryhas proven itself as one of Alpha's best-selling books and perhaps the best-selling trade music theory book ever published. In the new updated and expanded second edition, the book includes a special CD and book section on ear training. The hour-long ear-training course reinforces the basic content of the book with musical examples of intervals, scales, chords, and rhythms. Also provided are aural exercises students can use to test their ear training and transcription skills. The CD is accompanied by a 20-page section of exercises and examples.

A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print. One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.

In My Catholic Faith, Louis LaRavoire Morrow presents a comprehensive guide to the beliefs, practices, and traditions of the Catholic Church. This book serves as a valuable resource for both newcomers to the faith and lifelong Catholics seeking to deepen their understanding of their religious heritage. Morrow explores the core tenets of Catholicism, offering insights into the sacraments, prayer, and the role of the Church in daily life.

Many of us have questions about the Bible: Can we believe the Bible? What was Jesus’ mission? What is sin? Does hell exist? Is anyone beyond God’s forgiveness? In A Jesuit Off-Brodway, James Martin, SJ, answers these questions about the Bible, and other big questions about life, as he serves as a theological advisor to the cast of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. Grab a front-row seat to Fr. Martin's six months with the LAByrinth Theater Company and see first-hand what it's like to share the faith with a largely secular group of people . . . and discover, along with Martin, that the sacred and the secular aren't always that far apart.